1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a flushing system for a marine propulsion engine and, more particularly, to a flushing system that effectively removes seawater residue from the internal passages and surfaces of a marine engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known to those who operate marine vessels, it is typical for a marine engine which is used offshore to draw seawater into its internal cavities for use as cooling water. Although some marine engines may use a closed loop cooling water system, many do not. Instead, a seawater pump is used to draw seawater upward through the marine drive unit and then through the internal cavities of the engine.
Seawater is inherently undesirable because of its corrosive effect on the internal passages of the engine. After seawater flows through an engine, the mineral and biological residue is extremely corrosive to cast iron components. Although most skilled operators realize that it is beneficial to periodically flush marine engines used in seawater, it is difficult and time consuming to do so. As a result, many marine engines do not receive appropriate maintenance and cleaning in a timely manner.
Many different types of flushing systems have been developed for both stern drive propulsion units and outboard motors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,695, which issued to Sajdak on Sep. 26, 1989, discloses a storage boot and method for flushing outboard motors. The flexible cylindrical boot is provided with a plastic reinforced opening containing multiple nylon rivets for connection to one or more nylon cords. The boot is mounted around the shaft of a small outboard motor. A telescopic handle is attached to the reinforced opening and it guides the boot around the motor shaft after a garden hose is attached to a connector which is integral with a bottom of the boot. Fresh water from a faucet fills the boot and the motor is run at an idle speed to permit seawater flushing of the coolant system. The brackish water is then siphoned from the boot for dry storage of the motor in an upright position attached to the transom of a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,403, which issued to Ridolfo on Mar. 10, 1998, describes a marine outboard motor flush and run tank and a method of flushing a marine outboard motor. The method of flushing the outboard motor uses a marine outboard motor flush and run tank wherein the marine outboard motor flush and run tank comprises a flush trough member, a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet. The method of flushing an outboard marine motor flushes from the coolant system of an outboard marine motor salt, silt, and other material. An organic detergent is added to fresh water to form a mixture which is siphoned into the coolant system for breaking down and purging the salt, silt, and other material from the coolant system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,038, which issued to Neisen et al on Oct. 21, 1997, discloses a pulsating flushing device. The device is used for a cooling system of a marine drive which includes a housing having an inlet for receiving pressurized flushing coolant, an outlet for discharging the flushing coolant to the marine drive cooling system, a pulsating chamber between the inlet and outlet, and a pulsation mechanism in the pulsation chamber and receiving the pressurized flushing coolant and imparting a pulsation movement thereto and delivering pulsating flushing coolant to the outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,851, which issued to Karls on May 20, 1986, discloses a flushing device for an outboard motor. The device is provided to supply water to an inlet provided on the bottom of the anti-ventilation plate of an outboard motor. The flushing device uses a mounting bracket to hold a resilient cup compressed in place over the water inlet. A hose connector allows the cup to be connected to a water supply.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,009, which issued to Karls on Sep. 10, 1985, describes a flushing device for an outboard motor. The device is used for supplying water to the cooling water inlets of an outboard motor and uses a connecting pin extending through the inlets to attach a pair of sealing cups over the inlets. A sliding spring latch releasable attaches one of the cups to the connecting pin. A hose connection allows water to be supplied to the inlets through the cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,285, which issued to Logan et al on May 13, 1997, describes a drain valve for a marine engine. The drain valve assembly automatically drains water from a cooling system of an inboard marine engine when the ambient temperature drops to a preselected value. The drain valve includes a cup-shaped base having a group of inlets connected to portions of a cooling system of the engine to be drained, and the open end of the base is enclosed by a cover. Each inlet defines a valve seat. A sealing piston is mounted for movement in the base and includes a series of valve members that are adapted to engage the valve seats. An outlet is provided in the sidewall of the base. The valve members on the sealing piston are biased to a closed position by a coil spring and a temperature responsive element interconnects the sealing piston with the cover. The temperature responsive element is characterized by the ability to exert a force in excess of the spring force of the coil spring when the ambient temperature is above 50.degree. F., in order to thereby maintain the valve members in the closed position. When the temperature falls below the preselected temperature, the temperature responsive element will retract, and permit the valve members to be opened under the influence of the spring to automatically drain water from the cooling system of the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,325, which issued to Maloney on Dec. 27, 1977, describes a flush attachment for marine engines having side cooling water ports. This device represents a universally adapted apparatus for use in flushing outboard and inboard/outboard marine engines. The universality is possible due to the unique design of a strap and the shape of the cups which allow for the device to attach flush against the motor shaft housing on motors having shaft housings of different dimensions and contours.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,063, which issued to Carlson on Nov. 16, 1982, describes a spring-biased flushing accessory for outboard motors. A self-gripping spring-biased accessory is provided for directing water from an outside source to flush out the cooling system of a marine engine. The accessory comprises a U-shape retaining terminating at its upper ends in a pair of resilient suction cups which are constructed to bear against cooling water intake ports on opposite walls of the engine housing. At least one of the cups is connected to an external source of flushing water. A particular feature of the invention, disclosed in several different embodiments of the invention, is that the U-shaped retainer is provided with an auxiliary device to impart spring-bias to the legs, urging them to move towards one another to secure the suction cups in resilient sealed relation against the cooling water intake ports. In a further modification, a device is provided to apply the flushing water simultaneously to intake ports on opposite side walls of the engine housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,483, which issued to Rice on Jan. 9, 1996, describes a portable marine engine flushing system. The flushing device is used for a marine engine. It comprises a reservoir for temporary water storage and a delivery system to the marine engine. The power source for the system is gravity, which allows it be portable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,906, which issued to Rosen on Sep. 30, 1997, describes a flush valve for a water cooled marine outboard engine having a flush orifice. The flush valve includes a valve body with an engine attachment end and a flush water source end. The valve body has a channel between the engine end and the source end. The engine end of the valve body can be affixed into the flush orifice of the engine. The flush valve also includes a means for obstructing a discharge flow of cooling liquid from the engine end of the hollow valve body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,266, which issued to Brogdon on Nov. 8, 1994, describes a flush master fresh water flushing system. The system is used for a marine engine in a boat and is operable whether the boat is in or out of the water. The system comprises a control panel mounted on the interior of the boat, a plurality of tubular cut "T" shaped interconnection fittings in a raw seawater cooling conduit, and a fresh water flush valve therebetween. The components are connected for fresh water fluid flow with a plurality of standard radiator hoses. The fresh water flush valve has a valve plunger for establishing fresh flow between the control panel and the "T" shaped interconnection fittings. Further, the fresh water flush valve has a plurality of axial outlet ports to proportionately direct the flow of fresh water to the appropriate "T" shaped interconnection fitting in the raw seawater cooling conduit of the marine engine. A valve plug is provided to secure a positive closure when the fresh water flow is disconnected. The valve plug has a tapered body and an O-ring to effect a positive seal and insure that no fluid backflow occurs when the flushing system is not in use and operation of the marine engine is operating under normal conditions in seawater. All of the fixed and movable parts are fabricated from material that resists salt air and seawater corrosion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,431, which issued to Brogdon on Aug. 15, 1995, describes a fresh water flushing system for a marine engine in a boat. The system is used whether or not the boat is in water. The system comprises a control panel mounted on the interior of the boat, a plurality of tubular T-shaped interconnection fittings in a raw seawater cooling conduit, and a fresh water flush valve. The components are connected for fresh water fluid flow. The fresh water flush valve has a valve plunger for establishing fresh water flow between the control panel and the T-shaped interconnection fittings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,252, which issued to Brogdon on Feb. 28, 1995, discloses a fresh water flushing system. The system comprises a control panel mounted in the proximity of the marine engine and a fresh water flush valve. Hoses are connected to the fresh water flush valve and to various components of the marine engine system to provide for fresh water fluid flow within the engine. Alternative embodiments are included for marine vessels with one or more engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,377, which issued to Saunders et al on Dec. 10, 1991, describes an inboard marine engine flushing device. The device includes a flexible, resiliently deformable preferably elastomeric conical shaped hollow member having a smaller inlet and a larger outlet. The outlet includes a water sealing surface which is sized to sealably engaged around an engine seawater inlet fitting fixed to a boat hull. A preferably T-shaped hollow water supply conduit is also included which has a first leg connected to the inlet end, a second leg connected to a pressurized water supply, and a third leg which is plugged or is otherwise sealably engaged into a telescopically extendable and lockable elongated ground engaging member. The ground engaging member lockably retains the water sealing surface forcibly urged against the boat hull during the flushing operation. The conical member is also bendably resilient to accommodate hull surfaces which are at a substantial angle to horizontal in the vicinity of the seawater inlet fitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,863, which issued to Reese on Jan. 27, 1981, discloses a flushing assembly of the type used to clean outboard motors by forcing cleaning water through the inlet ports of the outboard motor. It comprises a base that is specifically structured to provide a water inlet in fluid communicating relation to the inlet ports of the motor. The base is structured so as to be capable of being clamped to the motor being cleaned adjacent the inlet ports and further to allow a water supply to be interconnected to the base wherein both the water supply and the adjustment of the base occurs at a location remote from the motor being cleaned so as to facilitate such cleaning when the motor is not readily accessible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,265, which issued to Gervais on Nov. 8, 1994, describes a marine engine flushing apparatus and method. The apparatus employs a conduit coupled to a fluid supply for supplying fluid to the marine engine. A valve assembly is mounted to the conduit between the fluid supply and the cooling inlet port and controls the flow of fluid to the cooling inlet port. The valve assembly is responsive to a start signal to permit the flow of fluid and a switch assembly is electrically coupled to the valve assembly and to the marine engine for providing the start signal to the valve assembly to allow the fluid to flow and an engine signal to the marine engine to enable starting of the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,256, which issued to Bidwell on Mar. 14, 1995, describes a flushing apparatus for a boat motor. It employs clamping members that operate hydraulically to engage the opposite sides of the engine housing. They are positioned over water intake ports of the motor. Upon full engagement of the apparatus, a check-valve opens to permit water to flow through a clamping member and into the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,104, which issued to Guhlin on Sep. 24, 1991, discloses a flushing device for a motor boat engine. The device is used for flushing the cooling systems of water cooled outboard and inboard/outboard motorboat engines that draw cooling water through intakes in the engine housing beneath the surface of the water in which the boat is operating. The apparatus allows lubricant to be injected into the cooling system after the cooling system has been flushed with clean, fresh water to leave a coating of oil in the surfaces of the cooling system to prevent rust from forming on the surface. The apparatus consists of a U-shaped spring with two legs on which are slidably mounted two cup-shaped seal members constructed of elastomeric material. The seal members are positioned over the cooling intakes of the engine housing. One of the seal members has an opening through which clean fresh water is introduced and the other sealing member has an opening through which lubricant is introduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,703, which issued to Lorenzen on Jun. 13, 1995, describes an outboard motor flushing system. The apparatus is used for flushing a marine engine outboard propulsion unit and includes a pair of sealing elements for covering the cooling water inlets of a marine engine propulsion unit. A U-shaped sealing element retainer is provided with a pair of arms and has one of the sealing elements attached to each arm. An elongated hollow rigid pipe has a handle on one end and a metal rod on the other end. The metal rod has an attaching clamp for removably attaching the metal rod and hollow rigid pipe to the U-shaped retainer. The hollow rigid pipe has a water coupling on each end thereof and one of the couplings has a flexible tube attached thereto into one of the sealing elements for conveying water from the hollow tube to the sealing element and the cooling water inlets of an outboard motor. The coupling at the other end of the hollow rigid pipe is attached to a water hose. The handle end of the rigid pipe has a water control valve on the handle for controlling the flow of water and both the handle end and the metal rod end are removably attached to a pipe so that the pipe can be interchanged for different lengths.
As owners and operators of marine vessels know, it is beneficial to drain cooling water from an engine at certain times and to flush the internal compartments of the engine with fresh water at certain times. For example, it is necessary to drain residual water from an engine if it is expected that temperatures will fall below freezing levels. This draining is performed to avoid damage to the engine block and other engine components by freezing water, which expands. It is also advisable to periodically flush the internal passages of an engine that is used in seawater. Otherwise, residual minerals can adhere to the internal passages and surfaces of the engine and cause corrosion. Flushing is particularly helpful if the engine is used in saltwater or corrosive applications.
Any draining or flushing system should exhibit certain characteristics in order to be useful for these purposes. The system should be easy to use. This includes being convenient to activate and deactivate. In addition, a flushing system should be relatively inexpensive. Otherwise, many operators would opt to do without an expensive system and, as a result, long term damage to the engine may occur. It is also very important that a flushing system be effective. Many known types of flushing systems are known to those skilled in the art, but known systems are not always effective in achieving a total flushing of the internal passages of the engine. It is therefore very important to introduce the fresh water at the proper location of the engine and assure that it effectively flows through the passages in all of the critical regions of the engine. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a means could be provided that is both simple and inexpensive, but highly effective in flushing the internal compartment of an internal combustion engine used in marine applications.